“He Wrote of Me.”

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.” (John 45-46 ESV)

In this confrontation, the Pharisees have no idea who Jesus is, although Jesus has been telling them. Jesus uses Moses, on whom the Pharisees pinned their hopes, to show the Pharisees that even Moses wrote about Him. This reinforces the deity of Jesus Christ to the Pharisees, who are completely clueless as to His identity.

Jesus had healed the man who had been crippled for over 30 years. Jesus saw the man by the pool of Bethesda, on the Sabbath, and healed him. Notably, the man had no idea who Jesus was, and Jesus did not tell him; His act of healing demonstrated His authority. This shows that faith is not always a prerequisite for God's grace, challenging false teachings that claim otherwise.

After the man was healed, Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees when the man pointed Christ out to them and identified Him as the one who had healed him. During this, Jesus highlighted that the Pharisees' hope was misplaced in Moses, who wrote the law, but in Deuteronomy 18:15-19, Moses also foretold of the coming prophet, Jesus Himself. This underscores that biblical prophecy points directly to Christ's identity.

In the confrontation, the Pharisees were confused because they did not understand Jesus' words; it made no sense to them. Their hearts were hardened, preventing them from hearing God's word. Similarly, those who oppose the gospel often do so because their hearts are hardened, making the message seem foolish, as Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 1:18, "The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

The hearts of the Pharisees were not filled with the love of God. No, their hearts were filled with greed, the hunger for money, power, and notoriety; that is what filled their hearts. However, at least one Pharisee and one Sadducee recognized the truth: Joseph of Arimathea, a rich Jew who sat on the Jewish Council and who was also a Sadducee, buried Jesus in His family tomb, and the Pharisee Nicodemus. The two God must have opened their hearts by grace, so that at least Nicodemus realized Christ must have come from God, because, as he said to Jesus, "no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." (John 3:2)

Jesus told us that the Bible is about Him, His coming. He explained to the disciples on the road to Emmaus: “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He showed them how every part of Scripture points to Him. This truth can fill your heart with hope and confidence in God's plan.

Do not be like the Pharisees and place your hopes in things of the world. These things will end. Instead, trust in Christ Jesus, whose coming has been foretold for thousands of years. Believe in His death and resurrection and find comfort in God's grace. If you struggle to believe, call out to God and ask Him to open your heart so you may trust in the risen Son of God. Salvation is only through grace, faith, and Christ's finished work on the cross!

Grace and Peace!